Hilton Honors™ Surpass® Card from American Express Review

Note: Some offer details in this article have expired and/or are being changed by the issuer. Appropriate updates will be applied to the article when the changes have been finalized.

One of the biggest expenses in any traveling budget is having to pay for lodging. Staying at a hotel for several days can get expensive and eat into the funds set aside for entertainment and other vacation activities. Thankfully, the Hilton Honors™ Surpass® Card from American Express, a Credit Cards Explained advertiser, has a solution.

After earning Honors bonus points from everyday spending, you can cash them in for nights at participating Hilton properties and resorts. Plus, right now you can earn a sign-up bonus of 75,000 Hilton Honor points.

Let’s dive into the full list of benefits from the Hilton Honors™ Surpass® Card from American Express as well as find out the disadvantages.

Hilton Honors™ Surpass® Card from American Express

As mentioned, new cardholders can earn a sign-up bonus of 75,000 Hilton Honors points simply by making at least $3,000 worth of purchases within the first 3 months of owning the card. Most credit card experts rate the Hilton Honors points at $0.005 each, so the 75,000 points bonus comes out to a $375 value.

The Hilton Honors™ Surpass® Card from American Express offers 12 points for every $1 spent at participating Hilton resorts and properties, 6 points for every $1 spent at restaurants, gas stations, and supermarkets within the U.S., and 3 points per $1 on all other purchases. This means that your everyday purchases can translate into big savings when you’re on vacation or traveling.

Card Features and Benefits

Here are some of the main benefits that the Hilton Honors Surpass Card from American Express offers cardmembers.

Signup Bonus: 75,000 bonus points after spending $3,000 in the first 3 months.

12 points for every $1 spent at Hilton properties

6 points for every $1 spent at U.S. restaurants, gas stations, and supermarkets

3 points for every $1 spent on all other purchases

Complimentary upgrade to Hilton Honors Gold status

500 Hilton Honors points online booking bonus

Travel benefits and accident insurance

Extended warranty purchase coverage

Entertainment access

Fraud protection and alerts

Since the Hilton Honors™ Surpass® Card is part of the American Express family of cards, you get access to the added features that Amex offers. This includes things like travel benefits, shopping and entertainment extras, and additional services like fraud protection. Plus, you can set up your account with Amex Offers and start saving money on shopping and dining out.

Card Disadvantages

While the Hilton Honors™ Surpass® Card from American Express does have many excellent advantages, it also has a few disadvantages to consider. In order to access all of the above listed credit card perks, you’ll have to pay an annual fee of $75. However, thanks to the 75,000 bonus points offer, worth around $375, you can easily offset this annual fee for the first year.

To get the most bang for your buck as far as earning and cashing in Hilton Honor points, you must do so within the network of Hilton properties and hotels. This may limit your options when hoping to book hotels in specific cities within the United States.

$75 annual fee

2.7% foreign transaction fee

Limited bonus points

When traveling internationally with the Hilton Honors™ Surpass® Card from American Express it’s important to note that there’s a 2.7% foreign transaction fee. Because of this, this card may not be the right choice for traveling internationally.

The Bottom Line

Whether you’re booking a vacation or simply want a night away, the Hilton Honors™ Surpass® Card from American Express is likely a great choice. With bonuses on everyday spending at U.S. restaurants, gas stations, supermarkets, and all other purchases, points are racked up quickly. In addition, the $75 annual fee easily pays for itself with the 75,000 bonus offer when spending at least $3,000 in transactions within the first 3 months.

Note: This content is not provided by American Express. Any opinions, analyses, reviews or recommendations expressed in this article are those of the author’s alone, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by American Express.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Carrie Smith is a financial writer and founder of Careful Cents, a blog and community aimed at helping freelancers overcome financial mountains. Her mission is to focus on building client-based businesses through meaningful relationships. She's been featured and published in Glamour Magazine, The Huffington Post, Inc and many other media outlets. Learn more about her and connect with her in real time on Twitter @carefulcents. Learn more about Carrie Smith

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Any opinions, analyses, reviews or recommendations expressed in this article are those of the author's alone, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any card issuer.

Credit Cards Explained may earn affiliate commissions from our partners on this page. These commissions do not affect how we select, rate, or review products. To find out more, read our complete terms of use.

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EDITORIAL NOTE

Any opinions, analyses, reviews or recommendations expressed in this article are those of the author's alone, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any card issuer.

Credit Cards Explained may earn affiliate commissions from our partners on this page. These commissions do not affect how we select, rate, or review products. To find out more, read our complete terms of use.